Lots of legislative news today - despite the fact that it's a state holiday, sanctioned by the Legislature, and most state offices are closed. The Legislature doesn't take holidays when it's in session. Here's a link to my full story on the new performance audit…
One of the sharpest criticisms of the Idaho Transportation Department in the new audit is that the department lacks a maintenance management system, a computer software system to track when, why and how certain sections of roadway are maintained. There hasn't been one since 2005,…
Lt. Gov. Brad Little read a proclamation from Gov. Butch Otter, and the rich and interweaving sounds of the Common Ground Community Chorus singing "I Dream a World" followed a trumpet fanfare and Girl Scouts presentation of colors to open Idaho's state ceremony today for…
Senate Transportation Chairman John McGee, R-Caldwell, said the new transportation audit confirms just what Gov. Butch Otter has been saying, that Idaho's transportation system is "grossly underfunded." Auditor Bob Thomas summed up the overall findings of the audit like this: "The current situation facing Idaho's…
In response to the new performance audit of the Idaho Transportation Department, Clete Edmunson, transportation adviser to Gov. Butch Otter, just told lawmakers, "We really appreciate the findings in this report. ... We need to do something, we need to take care of this investment…
The new audit suggests that the Idaho Transportation Department could be out $19.6 million due to the cost of "negative arbitrage" on future GARVEE bond issuances - the cost related to cash balances awaiting payment for project costs borrowed at high long-term rates, but invested…
The Idaho Transportation Department's "worst-first" strategy for dealing with deteriorated pavement is "inefficient," according to the new audit, and should be replaced with a "preservation-first" strategy. Instead of focusing on the roadways with the worst conditions, which then require immediate, costly reconstruction, the state could…
The new audit of the Idaho Transportation Department looked at the governor's $240 million proposal for increased funding, of which $137 million would go to ITD (much of the rest goes to local highway jurisdictions). It's no permanent fix, the audit found. "Even with the…
Here's how much interest there is in finding savings at the Idaho Transportation Department through efficiencies: Among those in the audience for the unveiling of the new audit today are Senate President Pro-tem Bob Geddes, House Speaker Lawerence Denney, and the entire House GOP leadership…
"Our audit team strongly believes that the current ITD funding is insufficient to maintain the state highway program," auditor Mike Huddleston told lawmakers, summing up the findings of an extensive audit of Idaho's Transportation Department that's just being unveiled today. Furthermore, the audit found that…
The $550,000 audit of the Idaho Transportation Department that's being released today ended up costing only $450,000, Office of Performance Evaluations chief Rakesh Mohan just told the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee. "It's a large and complex study, but we did it in a short amount…
Former House Judiciary Chair Debbie Field, now the head of Gov. Butch Otter's Office of Drug Policy, presented the statewide request for substance abuse services funding to the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee this morning, joined by the directors of the state departments of Health & Welfare,…
As Idaho's judicial branch has its budget hearing before lawmakers this morning, Idaho Supreme Court Administrator Patti Tobias told JFAC, "Caseloads are increasing during these turbulent times." District courts in Idaho have sen an unprecedented 17 percent increase in caseload in the past year, she…
While Boise has shivered for the past week under an icy fog, the mountains just above town, invisible from below, obscured by fog, have been basking under warm sunshine, clear skies and clean, fresh air. Up at Bogus Basin ski area over the weekend, it…
News, happenings and more from the Idaho Legislature and the state capital.
